The Gauntlet of Doom
by Mad Dr. Matt
Summary: Set after Reign Storm and The Ultimate Enemy, Vlad sends Danny through a gauntlet of his worst foes. The stakes: only the most important thing in Danny's life! Can he do it? And when it's over, will his ghostfighting career ever be the same?
1. New Arrival

Author's Note: The Mad Doctor does not own the show Danny Phantom or the characters. They are property of Butch Hartman and Nickeloden with the exception of the non-canon characters that appear in this fanfiction.

**Danny Phantom**

**In**

**The Gauntlet of Doom**

**A fanfiction by Mad Dr. Matt **

**Chapter 1: New Arrival **

It was a beautiful night in Amity Park. The light of the moon shone brightly on the town. It looked as if it was going to be a very peaceful night. But truth be told, Amity Park wasn't always this peaceful.

Thanks to a man by the name of Jack Fenton, who had built a portal into an otherdimensional plane known as the Ghost Zone, Amity Park had become the epicenter of many ghost attacks. The town had incidents with ghostly hunters, rock stars, dragons, wish-granters, therapists, and knights just to name a few. Fortunately, around the same time Jack Fenton created his portal, a hero had arisen to protect the town from every ghost that threatened Amity Park. And this very night, a mysterious figure was seeking out the hero known only to the public as Danny Phantom.

Leaping across the rooftops, an odd creature patrolled the town. He traversed the Amity Park skyline with incredible leaps and bounds. As he approached a tall radio tower, he leapt up and vanished in a puff of black smoke. He reappeared at the top of the tower and landed gingerly on the spire perfectly balanced.

His appearance would unnerve even the bravest of souls. His body was wrapped in black wrappings not unlike a mummy. He was also wearing a black hooded cape that blew in the wind. His face was covered by a mask of fabric with two eyeholes in it. Glowing red eyes beamed through them. Aside from the eyes, only his hands and feet were left uncovered. But they weren't normal. His hands and feet were skeletal and surrounded by a pale violet glow. Clutched in his right hand was a long black scythe with a sharp curved blade. He looked like the Grim Reaper himself.

"Amity Park. Tonight, it is quiet. But based on everything that I have heard about this town, it is just a powder keg ready to be lit. And hopefully, when that fuse is lit, a certain phantom will come to investigate," said the figure in a deep otherworldly voice.

He paused for a moment before saying, "I don't care if my narration sounds corny. How I talk while on patrol is really none of your business." He paused again. "I'm sorry if it annoys you. Let's just focus on the task at hand: locating that ghost boy and observing him," he said as he continued this apparent one-sided conversation.

The figure continued his surveillance of the town from his perch. He looked in every direction for something unusual. However, nothing appeared to be happening that night. He let out a heavy sigh. "If nothing happens, we might as well just go home and go to bed," he said drearily.

Then all of a sudden, he turned his head in one direction. "I sense something supernatural. It feels like it's coming from the warehouse district! Looks like we might be in luck tonight after all!" exclaimed the figure as he vanished again in a puff of smoke and reappeared at the base of the tower. He began to leap across the rooftops in the direction of where his senses were leading him.

Moments later, the figure arrived at a warehouse. In an instant, he teleported inside the warehouse into a room filled with stacks of crates. Peeking from behind one of the stacks, the figure surveyed the room. He saw that some of the crates were broken and their contents strewn about on the floor. Clearly, there had been a battle here. Then the figure saw what he had been looking for. Or rather who he had been looking for.

Floating in mid-air was a boy of about fourteen years of age with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes. He was wearing a black jumpsuit with white gloves, boots and belt. On his chest was logo that depicted a stylized 'D' with a 'P' in the center. The boy was looking left and right in search of something.

The figure stayed behind his crate out of sight of the ghost boy. But he continued to watch him. 'At last! The ghost boy called Danny Phantom. And it appears that he's in the midst of combat. I shall remain unseen and see what he can do,' he thought.

Danny continued to look around. "I know you're in here and we both know how this fight is going to turn out so why don't you just surrender?" he asked even though no one was in sight.

Suddenly, a new figure rose up through the floor. He had blue skin and was wearing a light gray shirt, light gray gloves, dark gray overalls and a dark gray parka. As he rose to Danny's level in the air, several crates rose into the air with him including the one the mysterious figure was hiding behind. But he dived behind another before either Danny or his adversary saw him.

"Beware, ghost child, for I am the Box Ghost! And in this room filled with boxes, I am master!" the ghost announced as he waved his arms toward Danny. The crates flew right toward him.

Danny let out a sigh, folded his arms in front of him and used his ghost power of intangibility. The crates passed right through him and smashed against the wall. Danny became tangible again and said, "You haven't learned anything, haven't you? Using boxes of this world don't hurt me on account that I can pass through them! Sheesh, at least in the future, you were able to create your own energy boxes that could hurt me."

The Box Ghost looked stunned for a moment but soon resumed his imposing façade. "Then beware my Bubble-Wrap of Doom!" he yelled as he produced a roll of bubble-wrap out of a pocket in his overalls and flew toward Danny. Flying in circles around Danny, he wrapped his bubble-wrap around the ghost-boy. Once Danny was fully wrapped, he backed off to admire his handiwork. "Foolish ghost child! You shall never escape my Bubble-Wrap of Doom!" he exclaimed.

Danny just gave him a bored look and went intangible again. The bubble-wrap fell through his body and onto the floor. The Box Ghost looked dumbfounded again.

Danny then just pointed a finger at the Box Ghost and shot a green beam from it. Once it collided with the Box Ghost, it gave him a horrible shock and soon he was out cold.

Danny whipped out his Fenton Thermos, a high-tech ghost-capturing device made by his parents that looked just like a normal thermos. He uncapped it, pointed it at the unconscious Box Ghost and the opening started to glow. The Box Ghost was sucked right into it and Danny slammed the cap back on.

Danny was beaming with pride. "I'd like to know how my weakest foe keeps getting out. But all in all, not bad for a night's work and I still have time to get home before my curfew," he said.

Danny flew out of the building through the wall into an adjoining alley where his scooter was parked. Before climbing on, two rings appeared in the middle of his body and began to move upward and downward as he shut off his ghost powers. He now had black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. Putting on a helmet, he climbed on the scooter and sped off.

Shortly after he left, a puff of black smoke appeared in the alley and the scythe-carrying figure appeared. He watched Danny pull out of the alley and turn the corner. After a brief pause, he said, "Yes, very interesting. Another ghost-human hybrid. But unlike the one in Wisconsin, this one seems to use his powers to protect this town from ghosts." He paused once again appearing to have a conversation with himself. "Indeed he could. But we shall watch him a little closer until we know more about him. Since he mentioned that the Box Ghost was his weakest foe, we shall have to see how he deals with more powerful foes and exactly what his character is like. Then we shall see if he is worthy," he said.

Then the figure jumped back up to the rooftops and began to run across them. It was clear that this mysterious being had plans for Danny Phantom. But was he friend or foe?


	2. An Argument and an Abduction

**Chapter 2: An Argument and an Abduction**

The next day, around noontime at Casper High, all the students gathered in the outdoor eating area. It was your typical high school scenario: all the students were divided into tables according to their coolness status. The nerds were at one table and the popular jocks and cheerleaders were at another. And at a table near the fence, three students were discussing the previous night's escapades.

One was Danny Fenton and the other two were his best friends who were privy to his secret. There was Tucker Foley, a black boy with glasses, a red beret, a yellow shirt and green jeans. He was a techno-geek by nature. The other was a Goth girl with black hair, violet eyes and was wearing a black top, a black skirt and black boots. Her name was Sam Manson and she prided herself highly on being extremely individualist.

"So it was just the Box Ghost again?" asked Tucker. "Yeah. I'd like to know how he keeps getting out. He's among my weakest enemies and yet he comes back time and time again to annoy me. I mean even that brat Youngblood is more of a threat. Adults can't even see him," said Danny. "Let's face it, Danny. Some ghosts never learn," said Sam.

"I guess you're right, Sam. You usually are. With the exception of a few times," said Danny. "What is that supposed to mean?" asked Sam angrily. "Need we remind you that our initial encounter with Lunch Lady was the result of your ideas? Not to mention that whole memory erasure incident from Desiree," said Tucker. "Hey, I didn't know she was around when I made that wish," said Sam.

"Guys, don't fight. It doesn't matter. We probably would have met them later anyway. Personally, I'd rather fight the Box Ghost everyday than any of my other foes," said Danny. "Yeah. He's more welcome around here than say Skulker or Ember," said Sam. "Or Technus and the Fright Knight," added Tucker. "Or worse, the gruesome threesome as I call them: Plasmius, Ghost King and my evil self," said Danny. "With the exception of Vlad, we don't have much to worry about from them. The Ghost King, along with his Ring of Rage, is back in his eternal sleep and based on what you told us, we don't have to worry about you going evil," said Sam. "I can only hope. I don't know what Clockwork did with my evil self. I guess he just popped out of existence once Clockwork intervened," said Danny.

"Um excuse me?" asked a voice from behind them. They all turned their attention toward the voice and saw a boy of about sixteen. He had brown hair brown eyes and was wearing glasses. He was wearing a gray jacket over a white T-shirt and gray pants. He was carrying a tray of food.

"May I sit here? I couldn't find a place to sit," said the boy. "Sure. But aren't you a little older than we are?" asked Danny as the boy sat down. "Ah who cares where you sit as long as you get to eat?" asked the boy. "Good point," said Tucker.

"My name's Danny Fenton and this Sam Manson and Tucker Foley," said Danny. "Pleased to meet you. My name's Matt Thanatos. I'm new here and I'm in your sister's class," said the boy. "Oh boy. Did she give you her usual 'Welcome to Casper High' greeting she gives to all new students?" asked Danny in an annoyed voice. "She did. But it wasn't all that bad. She was just trying to make me feel welcome," said Matt.

"Thanatos. Is that Greek?" asked Sam. "It is. My family has Greek roots. But I was born here in America. Interestingly enough, it means death," said Matt. Danny, Sam and Tucker stared at Matt with slightly shocked gazes on their faces. Matt chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I'm not from one of those kinds of macabre families." Danny and his friends gave a sigh of relief.

"Speaking of death, did I hear you guys talking about ghosts?" asked Matt. "Oh! Er! Uh! We were just talking about a…tabletop role-playing game we play. It involves hunting ghosts and we were just discussing some new characters," said Tucker. "Uh yes. We get together every Saturday and play this game," said Sam. Then she leaned toward Tucker and whispered, "Role-playing games! Is that the best you can come up with?" "It's the best I could do on such short notice," whispered Tucker. Sam responded by kicking him under the table.

"Neat. Think I could join you for a game? I love role-playing games. Not to the extreme like some people, of course," said Matt. "Uh not exactly, Matt. The game's very complex and we sort of have our own rules," said Danny playing along. "Oh. Okay. That's cool. Though it does sound interesting especially with the names of those characters. Skulker, Technus, Fright Knight? It sounds amazing," said Matt. 'Whew. I think we covered that one pretty well,' thought Danny.

"It's quite fitting that you would be thinking about ghosts. From what I've heard, this town is close to becoming the ghost capital of the world. Thankfully, this town has that ghost boy as its protector," said Matt. 'Well, he thinks Danny's good so he seems okay,' thought Sam.

"You seem to be interested in ghosts yourself, Matt," said Danny. "Oh indeed. Though not quite like your parents, Danny. I've seen them on the news. But unlike them, I really don't believe in treating ghosts like animals. I believe that ghosts just have some problems that they need to work out and their haunting of the living is just a way of dealing with it. But if people actually took time to find out what's bugging them, the natural and the supernatural could live together in harmony," said Matt.

Danny, Sam and Tucker looked at Matt for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. "Nice sentiment, Matt. But I don't think many ghosts want to work out their issues. You're starting to sound like a supernatural version of my sister," said Danny. Matt chuckled and said, "Laugh if you will, Fenton. But I stand by my beliefs and I don't care what anybody thinks about them." "You may be a little nutty, Matt. But I like the way you think," said Sam.

"Yoo-hoo! Danny!" called a female voice with a Hispanic accent. Danny, Sam, Tucker and Matt turned in the direction of the voice and saw a pretty girl with black hair and dressed in pink top and blue jeans. She had a piece of paper in her hand.

"Who's that?" asked Matt. "Paulina: most popular girl in school as well as the shallowest. She only talks to us if she wants something," said Sam. "I hate girls like that," said Matt.

"What is it, Paulina?" asked Danny. "I'm throwing a party tomorrow night and you're invited," said Paulina handing him the paper which was undoubtedly an invitation. Sam huffed in anger.

"Gee thanks, Paulina. But aren't you going to invite my friends as well?" asked Danny as he gazed at the invitation. "Yeah, where's our invitations?" asked Tucker. "I thought of inviting your friends, Danny. But I figured you'd come anyway with or without these losers and the new guy who must be a loser as well to hang out with you," said Paulina. "Hey!" exclaimed Matt. "That's not fair!" exclaimed Tucker. Sam said nothing but appeared to be growing more livid with each passing second.

"I'll be there, Paulina," said Danny. "Great! Now the ghost boy will most definitely show up. He always does whenever you're around. I can't wait to profess my love to him tomorrow," said Paulina. "What?" exclaimed Danny totally surprised by Paulina's declaration of her ulterior motive. Paulina took no notice and walked away.

"You're not seriously going to that party, are you Danny?" asked Sam. "Well, why not? I've got no plans this time and I don't want to disappoint her," said Danny. Sam growled angrily and stood up. "You are such a thickhead, Danny Fenton!" she yelled and stomped off toward the school doors. "Sam! Wait!" called Danny as he ran after her leaving Tucker and Matt at the table.

"Wow! I've never seen her so mad before. She's definitely got it bad," said Tucker. "What do you mean? Aren't they just best friends?" asked Matt. "Well…" said Tucker as he motioned with his finger for Matt to come closer. Matt leaned across the table so Tucker could whisper in his ear.

"Just between you and me, I've always suspected that Sam's got a thing for Danny. That's why she always gets so angry when Paulina tries to flirt with him," said Tucker. "I see. Very interesting. Do you think Danny feels the same way?" asked Matt. "I don't know. Sometimes. But he seems to be mostly into Paulina. Another girl named Valerie Gray also has her eyes on him. Man, some guys have all the luck. I'd give anything to be the babe magnet he is," said Tucker.

"Three girls, one guy. What a love rectangle. You'd think this stuff only happens on TV. By the way, why does Paulina think the ghost boy shows up whenever Danny's around?" asked Matt. "I have no idea," said Tucker nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, in the halls of Casper High, Sam angrily walked toward the girls' washroom. "Sam, wait up!" called Danny. Sam sighed and turned around to face her best friend.

"Why are you acting like this? It's not like the last time Paulina invited me to a party. I didn't break a promise to you so why are you getting so bent out of shape?" asked Danny. "You know, Danny, sometimes I can't even believe how blind you are. You know Paulina's only into your Phantom side. Do you think that she would like you even if you didn't have ghost powers?" asked Sam. "I thought you'd be happy for me. At least a girl is interested in some part of me," said Danny.

"And there's another thing, Danny. There's also Valerie. You know that she'll never accept your other side so I can't see why you are even considering a relationship with her," said Sam. "I don't have to take this, Sam. It's not like I'll even find someone who likes all of me so I'm just working with what I have!" yelled Danny. Sam gasped at this statement and then went into the washroom and slammed the door.

"Danny?" asked a voice from the left. Danny turned and saw a black girl with black hair and wearing a yellow sweater and orange skirt. "What's going on?" she asked. "Oh it's just Sam, Valerie. I got a party invite from Paulina and she's making a big deal about it," said Danny. "Want me to go talk to her girl-to-girl?" asked Valerie. "Nah. I don't think she wants to see anybody. Better just let her blow off some steam on her own," said Danny as he walked away.

Valerie lingered near the door for a bit and heard the sounds of soft sobbing coming from within. 'Poor girl. She does have it bad for him. I told her to make a move if she did like him. I hope she'll be okay. But what was that talk about neither Paulina nor I accepting the full Danny? It's not like he has a secret life like me,' she thought as she walked away.

In one of the washroom's stalls, Sam Manson sat on the toilet covering her eyes. Tears fell through her fingers. As she cried, she started to think.

'Oh Danny. Why must you act like such a thickheaded jerk? I'm your best friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. You know once Paulina finds out you and Danny Phantom are the same person, she's going to break your heart. And when Valerie finds out, she'll break your heart and you. Why can't you try to find someone who would like you just the way you are? Neither Fenton nor Phantom. Just Danny. Maybe even…me.'

Sam suddenly slapped herself. "Oh no, Sam. Don't start thinking that again. You don't like him that way and he doesn't like you that way. We're just platonic friends," she said out loud.

'But then again, why do I have such a problem with Paulina and Valerie? Why is it when any other girl gets near Danny, I act this way?' thought Sam as she walked out of the stall and toward the sinks. She leaned on the sink and faced her reflection. "Okay Manson, time to reflect. How do you really feel about Danny?" she asked the reflection.

"Let's see. There was that dance we shared after he freed me from the Amulet of Aragon. That felt pretty good. And when I fell off the tightrope at Circus Gothica and Freakshow's train, he managed to shake off the spell and save me. Both times, he fought the spell for me. And I can hardly forget the Ember incident. Even though it was just a result of her spell, part of me like being the center of Danny's world. Plus, we've each initiated fake-out make-outs. I can tell after the one I started that he enjoyed every second of it and I can say the same thing. The feel of his lips on mine. It was such a rush," said Sam. Then her eyes opened wide in realization. "Oh my gosh! I have fallen in love with him!" she exclaimed. Then she hung her head down.

'So now what do I do? I've finally come to the realization that I've fallen in love with my best friend. But his attention is drawn to two other girls who only like one half of him. I guess I might have to take Valerie's advice. I have to make the move or risk losing my only chance. This may jeopardize our friendship. But Danny's worth it. So that's it then. I'm going to tell him how I feel,' thought Sam.

Sam turned toward the door in the process of raising her head. But suddenly, she collided with something metal. "Ow!" she cried as she rubbed her head. Then she looked up and gasped in fear.

Looming over her was an immense figure clothed in black armor. He had a skull belt buckle and purple flames emitting from his helmet and lining his back. The only trace of facial features underneath his helmet was green eyes that stared right into her violet ones.

Sam knew this evil figure. It was the Fright Knight, the evil spirit of Halloween. When last she had heard of him, he was now working for Vlad Plasmius, Danny's archenemy. Her first impulse was to scream for help. But being confronted by the evil ghost, she was petrified with fear.

"Miss Manson, Lord Plasmius requests your presence," said the Fright Knight as he grabbed her by the collar with his free arm. "Yeah? Well you can tell Vlad that I'm going to have to refuse that request," said Sam angrily.

"When Lord Plasmius says request, he really mean demand. And I am afraid you really have no choice in the matter, Samantha," said the Fright Knight. "Do not call me that!" yelled Sam as she kicked the Fright Knight in the shin. Then she cried out in pain because despite her heavy boots, it still hurt kicking the hard armor.

"You just wait until Danny gets here! The moment his ghost sense goes off, you're in for a world of hurt!" yelled Sam. "I think not," said the Fright Knight as he presented his hand to Sam. A metallic ring was on one of the fingers. "Never thought you'd be one for bling, Fright Knight," said Sam. "It is a device constructed by Lord Plasmius that prevents the ghost child from sensing me. If he did, he would have come by now. But he hasn't. So there's nothing to stop me from taking you," said the evil ghost.

Sam's defiant look was replaced by one of pure fear. She tried to scream for help. But the Fright Knight anticipated it and covered her mouth. "Now we must be off. My master does not like to be kept waiting," he said as he turned himself and Sam intangible and invisible. He walked through the wall of the bathroom.

Sam didn't know what Vlad Plasmius and the Fright Knight were planning that involved kidnapping her. But one thing was certain: it wasn't going to be good.


	3. Vlad's Proposition

Chapter 3: Vlad's Proposition 

Much later after school got out, Danny and Tucker were walking down the street towards Danny's home. It wasn't easy to miss seeing as how it was the only building with a UFO-like structure on top and a big neon sign that said 'Fentonworks'.

"So you didn't see Sam at all?" asked Tucker. "No. The last time I saw her was when she stormed into the bathroom. I wonder if she ever left," said Danny. "Do you think maybe she left the school and cut class?" asked Tucker. "Well, I wouldn't put it past her. After all, she did skip school to see the opening ceremony of Freakshow's circus. Mr. Lancer is going to kill her," said Danny.

"She was pretty mad at you," said Tucker. "Hey, can I help it if my ghost half's a babe magnet. I can't wait 'til Paulina's party tomorrow," said Danny. "I don't know, Danny. Maybe Sam's right. Maybe you shouldn't even consider Paulina as a potential girlfriend. You know how she feels about Danny Fenton," said Tucker. "Don't you start on me too, Tuck," said Danny.

"Okay. Changing the subject. So what do you think of Matt? He seems to be an okay kind of guy," said Tucker. "Anyone who believes all ghosts aren't evil is okay in my book. But he does have some crazy ideas and keep in mind, he is older than us. Plus, he seems a little too curious about our town's ghost problem," said Danny. "Yeah. But other than that, he seems to be all right. Maybe we should invite him over to your place. Who knows? Maybe his views on ghosts might get your parents off your back," said Tucker. "Yeah. That'll be the day," said Danny as they climbed up the steps to the front door of Danny's house.

Danny was about to reach for the doorknob when all of a sudden, the door opened revealing a sixteen-year old girl with red hair and was wearing a blue hair band, black shirt and blue jeans. It was Danny's sister Jazz and she looked a little miffed.

"The door was open, Danny. Why'd you ring the doorbell?" she asked. "I didn't. We just got here," said Danny. "Don't play dumb with me, little brother. I distinctly remember hearing the doorbell. I yelled that the door was open. But you kept ringing it," said Jazz. "I'm telling you it wasn't me!" yelled Danny.

"Hey guys. Look at this," said Tucker. Danny and Jazz stopped fighting to see what Tucker was indicating. He was holding a videotape in his hands. Tied to it was a roll of paper.

"Where did that come from?" asked Danny. "I don't know. It was just sitting here on the steps," said Tucker as he pulled the tape out of its slipcover. It had a label that said 'Play immediately'. "I guess we'd better do what it says," said Danny.

The three of them headed into the house and toward the television. Tucker popped the tape into the VCR and it began to play. "Hope it's not a cursed video tape," said Tucker. Then they all gasped as they saw who had appeared on the screen.

The television showed a man in his forties with gray hair tied back in a ponytail. He had a beard and a black suit. He wore a devious smile. "Vlad!" they all exclaimed. "Its worst than cursed!" exclaimed Tucker.

"Hello Daniel. And Jasmine and Mr. Foley if they are also present," said Vlad on the screen. "What's he up to now?" asked Danny annoyed. "You're probably wondering what I'm up to now. So I will tell you," said Vlad on the screen. "Wow! Eerie!" exclaimed Tucker.

"I feel that seeing as how I should take on my eventual role as your mentor, I believe we should test the extent of your current ghost powers. That is why I have set up a special challenge for you, Daniel. All you have to do is follow the attached map to the designated area at 10:00 tonight," said Vlad.

Tucker unrolled the roll of paper and they all looked at it. It was a map. "It seems to be somewhere on the outskirts of town," said Jazz. "Yeah. Well no way am I going to do what he says. I'm not going to be his pawn again," said Danny.

"If you are considering not coming here and risking being my pawn again, then I suggest you reconsider," said Vlad on the screen. They all turned his attention to the screen. "Okay. Now this is just freaky," said Tucker. "If you do not show up, I'm afraid someone very dear to you may suffer quite greatly," said Vlad.

Then the video panned to the right and what they saw made them gasp. It was the Fright Knight and he was holding Sam in his clutches. She struggled to get free. She was trying to call for help but her mouth was covered by the Fright Knight's hand. Suddenly, she broke free from his grasp and yelled, "Danny, don't do it! It's a trap!" The Fright Knight covered her mouth again.

"Sam!" yelled Danny in fear. "That's right, Daniel. I've got someone important to you and if you want to see your precious Samantha again, you'll come alone to the spot on the map at 10:00," said Vlad as the video panned back to him. "If you don't, I'm afraid that I might not be able to stop what the Fright Knight or myself will do to here. See you soon, Daniel!" said Vlad in mock sympathy as the video ended.

"Definitely not the feel-good film of the year," said Tucker. Jazz gave him a dirty look. Danny didn't look at either of them. But his expression practically screamed rage.

"I've got to go save her," said Danny. "Danny, no! It's obviously a trap. Sam said it herself," said Jazz. "I don't care. Sam's in danger and I'm the only one who can save her. I have to go," said Danny.

"Then we're coming with you," said Tucker. "No! Vlad said to come alone. If he sees you, who knows what he'll do to Sam?" said Danny. "Since when has Vlad ever played fair, Danny? You're going to need backup if things get ugly over there. Besides, it just so happens that Mom and Dad have something that Tucker and I can use to accompany you without Vlad knowing. You made me an honorary member of your team, so in Sam's absence, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not," said Jazz. "Face it, Danny. You need us," said Tucker

Danny sighed. This was a difficult situation. He wanted to save Sam. But he knew he couldn't do it alone. However, if Tucker and Jazz were discovered, Vlad and the Fright Knight might hurt Sam. On the other hand, they weren't going to let him go alone anyway.

"All right. We're all in this together. Now first things first. Tucker, you and I will raid the weapons vault. If you guys are discovered, you're going to need them. Jazz, do what you do best: covering up. Call Sam and Tucker's parents and make something up," said Danny. "Overnight study session sound okay?" asked Jazz. "Whatever. Where are Mom and Dad?" asked Danny. "They went to investigate a supposed ghost sighting in the sewers. So they might be out all night," said Jazz. "Okay. That takes care of them. Okay, Team Phantom. Let's get prepared," said Danny.

Danny and Tucker ran in the direction of the weapons vault while Jazz whipped out her cell phone. They had a lot to do if they were going to save Sam.


	4. Setting Out

**Chapter 4: Setting Out**

Much later, Danny, Tucker and Jazz were down in the basement gathered in front of the Specter Speeder, which was a ghost-fighting vehicle that hovered instead of using wheels to move. Danny and Tucker were loading various weapons into the back of the Specter Speeder while Jazz went over their inventory with a checklist.

"Okay. We've got Fenton Anti-Creep Sticks, Fenton Bazookas, Fenton Laser Staffs, Jack-O-Nine-Tails, Boooomerangs, Ghost Weasels, the Fenton Peeler and various others. I'd say we're ready for anything," said Jazz looking over her list. "I hope so. We don't know what Vlad's planning so we need at least one of each kind of ghost gadget if things get ugly," said Danny.

"Speaking of which, what's this new Fenton gadget that's going to allow us to follow Danny, Jazz?" asked Tucker. "Oh, I nearly forgot," said Jazz as she walked over to a metal wardrobe. She opened it and took out two silver jumpsuits with masks attached to them. She tossed one to Tucker.

"What is it with your family and jumpsuits?" asked Tucker. "And more importantly, what's so special about these ones?" asked Danny. "Believe or not, guys, these jumpsuits impress even me. Mom and Dad showed them to me before they left. They're called Fenton Inviso-Suits. They can actually turn you invisible. I'll show you," said Jazz as she slipped on the jumpsuit and pulled on the mask. Then she pressed a button near her wrist and slowly faded out of sight. "Awesome!" exclaimed Tucker as he began to put his on.

Jazz, still invisible, walked over to a desk and picked up two small devices. One looked like a contact lens and the other like a small microphone. She tossed them to Danny. "The contact lens acts a mini camera so put it in your eye. This will enable us to see whatever you see, Danny. Place the microphone in your ear and we'll be able to hear everything you hear. It also acts as a two-way communicator so you can talk to us. Just make sure no one sees you talking to us or Vlad will get suspicious," she said as she faded back into view.

Danny nodded and did as she said. He carefully placed the lens over his eye and tucked the microphone in his ear. "Thanks a lot guys for coming. Though I still don't like it. Vlad told me to come alone," said Danny. "Since when do you listen to your archenemy, Danny? You're going to need us no matter what," said Tucker.

Jazz checked the clock on the wall. "It's 9:30, Danny. You'd better get to where Vlad wants you. We have a copy of the map so we'll follow you shortly in the Specter Speeder which is now also equipped with the same stealth technology that the suits have. We'll station ourselves near the location so we'll be near if you need help," said Jazz.

"Okay. See you guys later. I'm going ghost!" yelled Danny as he raised his arms. Slowly, two rings materialized midway through Danny's body and moved upward and downward. He was Danny Phantom once again.

Danny took off from the ground and began to fly upward. Before he reached the ceiling, he went intangible and phased through it.

Once outside his house, Danny checked the map. It appeared that wherever Vlad wanted him, it was on the outskirts of the west side of Amity Park. "Hang on, Sam. I'm coming to save you," said Danny as he headed west. As he flew above Amity Park, he had no idea that he was being watched from below.

On top of a rooftop, watching Danny through a pair of binoculars was the mysterious figure in black wrappings. His scythe lay near him.

"He's certainly in a big hurry. Something must be wrong. We must follow him and see what's going on," he said as he picked up his scythe.

But before he could begin to follow Danny, he noticed something. Someone else was already following Danny. It looked like a figure clothed in armor and was riding a flying surfboard.

"Hmm. It seems we have another player in the game. My, this is getting interesting. Let us see how things unfold once we get to wherever Phantom leads us," said the figure as he began to leap across the rooftops in Danny's direction.

A short time later, Danny arrived at the spot where Vlad's map had indicated. He flew down to the ground and looked around. Then he saw something suspicious: a cave with its opening blocked by a pair of metal doors.

Danny placed his hand to his face to redirect his voice to the communicator in his ear. "Tucker, Jazz, do you read me?" he asked in a whispering tone. "Loud and clear, buddy," said Tucker's voice. "I found the entrance to where Vlad wants me. It's a cave with metal doors. No sign of anything else so it must be the right place," Danny responded. "Okay. We'll station ourselves near it. Just give us a call and we'll come running. Be careful," said Jazz's voice. "I will. Just stay out of sight," said Danny.

Danny approached the doors. He went intangible and walked forward with the intent to phase through. But all of a sudden, he received a terrible shock and was thrown back.

Danny groaned in pain. "What was that?" he asked. "A little security measure to keep certain ghost children from barging in and cheating," said Vlad's voice from a speaker above the doors. "You're early. That is good because we have some things to go over before my little game starts. So please come in, Daniel," said Vlad's voice as the doors parted. Danny picked himself up and walked into the cave as the doors shut behind him.

Shortly after Danny entered the cave, something else lowered out of the sky. It was a girl dressed in black and red armor on a flying machine shaped like a surfboard. Through a red glass visor, peered the face of Valerie Gray.

Much like Danny, she too had a secret life. Due to little mishap involving Danny and a ghost puppy resulting in her father losing his high-paying job and ruining her social status at Casper High, she now hated all ghosts, especially Danny, with a vengeance. With ghost hunting equipment provided by Vlad, now upgraded after an encounter with the ghost master of technology Nicolai Technus, she vowed to destroy Danny Phantom and all ghosts who were in her path.

She began to speak into a wrist communicator. "Mr. Masters, I've arrived," she said. "Excellent Valerie. I'll have you know that the ghost boy has already arrived and is in the complex already," said Vlad's voice from the communicator. "Not to sound rude Mr. Masters, but why go through with this grand scheme? I can paste that ghost with one blast easily," said Valerie. "But have you?" asked Vlad's voice. Valerie let out a sigh and said, "No, I haven't."

"Exactly, Valerie my dear. I understand it wasn't too pleasant after your dad found out your secret. But since I've got him working late tonight at Axiom, you are free to hunt him. I assure you, by midnight tonight, the ghost boy will be so weakened, you can defeat him easily and have your revenge. But you are to remain one room behind the ghost boy at all times and not make a move until I give the go ahead. Is that understood?" asked Vlad's voice. "Understood. Over and out," said Valerie as she shut down the communicator and gazed at the doors. "Soon ghost, I'll make you pay for everything you've put me through," she said vindictively.

In a nearby bush, the mysterious figure watched the scene unfold. "So the Wisconsin hybrid is behind this. And apparently, that ghost hunter is in cahoots with him though she may be unaware that she's working for a hybrid. Either way, this does not bode well for Phantom. But why would Phantom come so freely? Whatever it is, it is the perfect opportunity to see Danny Phantom in action. Plasmius said that no ghost can phase through that door. But why phase when you can teleport? I may also have to indirectly even the odds because they don't look like they are in Phantom's favor," he said.

So there it was. Danny had entered into a vile villain's trap to face a challenge that he had no idea what it would be like. And to further complicate things, he had the grudge-bearing ghost hunter Valerie behind him as well as the enigmatic creature whose true intentions remained unknown. Even with Tucker and Jazz nearby and ready to spring to his aid when he needed it, it didn't look very promising for him or Sam.


	5. The Rules of the Game

**Chapter 5: The Rules of the Game**

Upon entering the cave, Danny found himself in an all metal room with another pair of similar doors. There was a large video screen above them. "Okay, Plasmius. What's your game this time?" he asked.

As if in response, Vlad's image appeared on the screen. "I'll tell you what my game is, Daniel. After all, you need to know the rules before playing," said Vlad. "You think kidnapping one of my best friends is a game, Vlad? Where's Sam?" asked Danny angrily.

"She's perfectly fine. She's just a little tied up at the moment, if you'll pardon the pun. She's waiting for you at the end of this underground complex. But in order for you to get there, you'll have to go through my challenge first," said Vlad. Danny sighed. It looked like there was no other way. "Okay, Vlad. What's the deal?" he asked.

"The rules of my game are simple. Starting exactly at 10:00, these doors will open into another room. Within is one of your enemies. The object is to defeat this foe within the designated time limit. Otherwise, the doors to the next room of the complex will open and you'll have two enemies to deal with. But if you can defeat your foe and capture it in your thermos before the time limit is up, then you'll have time to prepare for the next one. You did bring the thermos, did you?" asked Vlad. "Yes. Is that it?" asked Danny.

"No. As you progress, you'll find that you will have to defeat your opponents in less time. The first four allow you fifteen minutes. The second four allow you ten minutes. The final three only allow you five minutes. But if you can make it through this gauntlet, then you shall win the greatest honor of all: a free-for-all battle against yours truly to save your precious Samantha. Any questions or comments?" asked Vlad.

"Just one. You better not hurt her, Vlad, or you're going to be facing one fierce Phantom," said Danny angrily. "We shall see. It all depends if you have what it takes to endure this challenge. Its five minutes to ten, so prepare yourself for the Gauntlet of Doom!" announced Vlad as the screen shut down.

Elsewhere in the complex, Vlad shut off his screen and chuckled. "No amount of preparation can guarantee a victory for you, Daniel," he said to himself as he turned around.

He was in an immense metallic room with a domed ceiling. In the center, there appearing to be a massive device that was being constructed by the Fright Knight and three ghostly vultures wearing fezzes. In the center of the construction, chained to a rectangular platform was Sam Manson struggling to get free

Vlad walked up to Sam and smiled evilly. "You'll be happy to know that your precious boyfriend is here to rescue you, Samantha. Just as I knew he would," he said tauntingly. "You're not getting away with this, Masters! And he's not my boyfriend!" yelled Sam angrily. "Of course he isn't. But you want him to be, don't you?" asked Vlad as he squeezed her cheeks.

"You should be honored. You know, I could've used another girl in my scheme. I could have used that popular Hispanic girl or my little ghost hunter pawn. But after hearing that touching display of affection in the washroom, I knew immediately that you were the right girl to be my Enemy's Beloved. Besides, who knows? Maybe before the night is out, Daniel will realize that you're the girl he's been waiting for so long. That is, if he survives my challenge. Which he won't," said Vlad with a laugh as he walked away from Sam.

"He'll stop you like he always does," yelled Sam. To herself, she said, "Please be careful, Danny. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you before I got the chance to tell you how I feel."

"Fright Knight!" Vlad called upward. His armor-clad employee floated down to him. "Is the apparatus going to be ready on schedule?" Vlad asked. "It shall be completed before midnight as planned, my lord," responded the Fright Knight. "Good," said Vlad.

"My lord, I must ask you if this is all really necessary. I myself could get you what you need and you needn't have set this challenge up for the ghost child nor bring in that ghost hunter of yours. All this elaboration seems rather unnecessary," said the Fright Knight. "Fright Knight, you know I have full confidence in you. But this scheme is about many things. Not only will it serve my own purposes, it will also give me the opportunity to subject Daniel to complete and utter defeat. Now get back to work," ordered Vlad. "Yes, my lord," said the Fright Knight with a bow and resumed working on the device.

"Poindexter!" yelled Vlad. In response to his bidding, another ghost flew to Vlad's side. This ghost looked like a teenage boy with glasses, buckteeth and clothes befitting of a geek. He looked like he had jumped right out of a black-and-white photograph. His name was Sidney Poindexter, a ghost who detested bullies after a life of bullying at school.

"Yes, Mr. Masters?" asked Poindexter in his nasal voice. "It's time to go on the air and announce the event to the whole Ghost Zone," said Vlad. "Sir, I must protest this spectacle. I'm not too fond of the halfa myself. But to put him through all this is the worst notion of bullying I've ever heard of," said Poindexter. "Poindexter, I didn't hire you to tell me what to do. I hired you to be my bookkeeper and to take calls. Now it's nearing 10:00. It's time to address my adoring public," said Vlad. "Yes, Mr. Masters," said Poindexter with a hint of defiance in his voice.

Vlad walked to a white backdrop with a television screen next to it and a camera in front of it. Vlad positioned himself in front of the camera while Poindexter went behind the camera.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Makeup!" yelled Vlad as two black rings appeared midway down his body. They moved up and down and he soon was transformed. He was now a horrible creature with blue skin, red eyes, fangs, black hair and a white suit with black gloves and boots and a cape. He was now Vlad Plasmius. "Okay, Mr. Plasmius. We're on in five, four, three, two, one," said Poindexter as the camera started up.

"Hello, all ghostly viewers out there in the Ghost Zone. I, Vlad Plasmius, bring you the ultimate in reality television: the Gauntlet of Doom! And the star of our show is none other than the ghost boy you all know and hate: Danny Phantom!" announced Vlad as the television next to him sprang to life and an image of Danny waiting impatiently appeared.

"What you will see is the heroic Danny Phantom braving all odds as he fights his way through an assortment of the worst villains the Ghost Zone has to offer under time limits. The stakes: his beloved Samantha Manson. Will our intrepid and hated hybrid make it through and triumph? Stay tuned to Plasmiusvision!" announced Vlad. 'Sheesh. What a cornball!' thought Sam who was hearing everything.

"But wait! There's more. There's a way you can all profit from this. For a down payment of one hundred ghost dollars, you can bet on the combatant of your choice be it Daniel, one of his combatants, or myself. It will all go into a pot. Half will go to the one who defeats Daniel and the other half will be equally divided among those who bet on it. I guarantee you'll get your money back plus a little bonus if your combatant wins. So call 1-800-555-DALV and place your bet. The betting will be open until Daniel falls. A list of the combatants will follow and at exactly 10:00, the first battle will commence. Enjoy the show," said Vlad as he signed off.

A few moments after Vlad stopped, several phone sounds were heard elsewhere. "Don't just float there, Poindexter! Answer the phones and take those bets!" he commanded. "Yes, sir," said Poindexter as he floated away.

All alone again, Vlad chuckled as he watched the Fright Knight and his vultures continue construction on the strange apparatus around Sam. He moved toward a pedestal which had a crown surrounded in green flames underneath a glass jar.

'Let Daniel try to save his supposedly not-girlfriend. Let the fools out there in the complex try to defeat him. Because no matter what happens, I'll end up with the greatest prize of all,' thought Vlad as he gazed at the crown.

Author's Note: Pretty interesting, huh? So any bets on what Vlad is really planning? I do hope you're still in the dark. I should tell you that the next chapters are each going to be a fight between Danny and one of these mysterious combatants. I won't divulge who they are. But they will be from Danny's rogues gallery. Also, in regards to my fan-made character with the scythe, you're not going to learn his story for a while. Keep reading and reviewing!


	6. 10:00: The Lonely One

**Chapter 6: 10:00: The Lonely One**

At exactly 10:00 on the dot, the doors in front of Danny opened. "Finally. I was getting impatient," he said as he walked in. The moment he walked in, he nearly slipped.

"Whoa! This floor is like ice!" he cried as he regained his balance. Then he looked at the floor and saw that it really was covered with ice. He looked at the rest of the room.

The room was covered in ice and frost. The walls were composed of several fans stacked against one another. Another pair of metal doors was at the end. Above it, was a clock counting down from fifteen minutes.

Danny shivered. 'It's like a freezer in here. Is Vlad doing what Spectra did with the temperature to throw off my ghost sense? Or is all this cold for something else?' thought Danny.

"Will you be my friend?" asked a voice from behind Danny. Danny turned around sharply and beheld his first opponent.

It was a male ghost with blue skin and blond hair. He was wearing pink and white striped pajamas and one of his eyes was bigger than the other. He had a lonely look on his face

"Klemper? You're my first opponent?" asked Danny. Klemper responded by asking, "Why won't you be my friend?" Danny scoffed and said, "For the hundredth millionth time, you're annoying and clingy and being friends with you would just drive me nuts!"

"Nobody ever wants to be my friend! Why!" cried Klemper as he inhaled and breathed out a cloud of ice. Danny anticipated this and dodged it by flying off. "Big baby," he muttered.

All of a sudden, all the fans on the wall began to start up and blasted out gusts of freezing air and snow. "Whoa!" yelled Danny as he was tossed around by the winds. Just as soon as the winds started they, they stopped sending him flying toward the icy floor. He slid right into the wall.

"Ow!" he said as he rubbed his head. But he didn't have time to lie around because Klemper was about to use his ice breath again. Danny rolled to the side just before the icy breath hit him and froze one of the fans on the wall. Almost as soon as Klemper missed again, the fans started up again. This time, he remained flat on the ground trying to endure the icy blasts from the fans. Suddenly they stopped again.

Danny quickly turned invisible. He remained unseen and kept his eye on the crybaby named Klemper who was looking left and right in search of the human-ghost hybrid he wanted for a friend.

'Never thought I'd have to hide from Klemper. He's probably the least dangerous of my foes. At least the Box Ghost wants to do harm. But what is up with all these fans?' thought Danny. Then it hit him. 'The fans make a blizzard whenever Klemper uses his ice breath. They're synchronized to his special power so he hits even when he misses. Since Klemper lives in a frozen part of the Ghost Zone, he's probably used to the winds. Vlad must've built every room of this gauntlet to give my opponent the advantage. In this case, the room is a giant blizzard machine. But if I can't fly due to these blizzards, I'm going to lose to Klemper. Man, that'll be an embarrassment,' he thought.

Then he gazed at the fan he had been in front of before the last blizzard. The one Klemper hit and froze. "Hmm. I wonder," he said.

Danny turned visible and shouted, "Hey Klemper! How about a deal? If you freeze me, I'll be your friend!" Klemper turned toward Danny with an expression that screamed pure joy. "Oh boy! A friend at last!" yelled Klemper as he inhaled and breathed out his ice breath again.

Danny leapt toward the frozen fan just as the blizzard started up again. He curled up in front of it as he waited for the brief blizzard to be over. Once it was over, he was beaming with pride as he gazed at the frozen fan.

"I knew it! When Klemper blasted this fan, he stopped it from working. I didn't feel anything from this one. So I'll use my opponent's power against him," said Danny as he flew up into the air.

"You missed me, Klemper!" called Danny. Klemper used his ice breath again and Danny dodged it allowing it to freeze more of the fans on the wall. Once the blizzard began to start up, he moved in front of one of the frozen ones and waited it out. Then he began the process again. Soon, the blizzards became less powerful and he was able to continue flying while they were on.

"You keep missing me, Klemper. And one thing I look for in a friend is a good aim. But then again, you have been trying so hard so I'm going to cut you some slack. So come give me a hug, new friend!" called Danny with his arms open wide.

"After all my years of loneliness, I finally have a friend!" cried Klemper happily as he floated toward Danny with his arms open wide ready for a hug. Danny didn't move a bit as the overly friendly ghost grew closer.

But at the last possible moment, Danny reached forward and grabbed Klemper's right arm and swung him around in a circle. "Alley-oop!" yelled Danny as he tossed Klemper upward. As Klemper sailed through the air, Danny put his hands together with the palms facing forward and unleashed a ghost beam. The beam struck Klemper in the back and he howled in pain. Once Danny shut down his beam, Klemper landed in a heap on the ground.

"You really don't want to be my friend?" asked Klemper weakly as he turned his head toward Danny. "Uh how can I put this Klemper? Duh!" yelled Danny as he whipped out the Fenton Thermos and aimed it at Klemper. The Thermos' energy beam shot out and sucked Klemper right into it.

Danny capped the Thermos and gazed at the clock. There were ten minutes left. 'Well, guess I have to wait for a bit until my next fight. But still, I should have beaten Klemper in less time than it took if it weren't for this blizzard machine. I'd better not underestimate anything in this complex. Sure hope Sam's all right," said Danny as he leaned against the wall and waited for the next room to open.

Meanwhile, Vlad and his associates had watched Danny's triumph over Klemper on the television screen in front of the camera. Vlad turned to the camera, which was now being manned by the Fright Knight, with a wicked grin.

"Danny Phantom defeats Klemper, ladies and gentlemen of the Ghost Zone. Who could've seen that coming? Stay tuned because in ten minutes, the next battle will commence. And keep those bets coming!" he announced.

"That was quite an entertaining battle, wasn't it, Fright Knight?" asked Vlad as he stepped off-camera toward his henchman. "Indeed. With all your technology, even the weakest ghosts can become worthy adversaries. But be that as it may, Klemper still lost whereas we could have made things simpler having the ghost child battle someone more powerful in the first place," said the Fright Knight.

"Someone more powerful, eh? Like say, you?" asked Vlad. "Well, I don't like to brag but…," began the Fright Knight before Vlad interrupted. "I'm saving the more powerful and competent challengers for later in the game, Fright Knight. I know very well with that Soul Shredder of yours, you could take him out with one hit. But where's the fun in that? This plan is about many things, one of which is making Daniel suffer pain and defeat like no other. So we're going to do things my way," said Vlad.

"But really my lord, was it necessary to pit him against Klemper? We could have saved time by putting him in the machine in the first place," said the Fright Knight. "Because that'd be too easy and I get a kick out of watching him battle. Besides, the more Daniel fights, the more exhausted he will be so that even if he manages to reach here, he'll be in no shape to rescue his precious girlfriend. He really has no hope of winning anyway not with the caliber of his enemies that we've convinced to join in this gauntlet. Now resume work on the machine," said Vlad. "Yes, of course," said the Fright Knight as he flew off.

Vlad walked by his machine which had grown bigger in the last while. They had built a large metal lantern shape around Sam who was still chained in the middle of it. There was a flat surface on top of the lantern structure and the Fright Knight was beginning to attach long metal beams to it.

Vlad stopped at a desk where Poindexter was sitting and answering several ringing telephones. Nearby was a machine with a circular hole in which an ethereal purple light was shining: a Ghost Portal designed by Vlad. Out of it flew one of Vlad's vultures who placed a wad of bills into a large bag.

"Hello? You want to bet on who? Okay," Poindexter said as he wrote something down on a notepad before hanging up. He then wrote up something on a piece of paper and added to a stack of similar papers. The vulture picked them up and flew back into the portal.

"How are the bets coming along, Poindexter?" asked Vlad. "We've accumulated over five thousand in bets, Mr. Plasmius. And they're still coming in fast," said Poindexter.

"Did any poor fool bet on Klemper?" asked Vlad. "No. And given the odds you showed through the television, I can't blame them," said the nerdy ghost. "So they're not all idiots out there in the Ghost Zone. Has anyone bet on me?" asked Vlad. "A few have. But they're mostly betting on the Fright Knight and the other later competitors," said Poindexter. "I'm insulted!" growled Vlad.

"Let's face it, Mr. Plasmius. You're not quite as famous in the Ghost Zone as the younger halfa is aside from the fact that you're known as the fool who let the Ghost King out," said Poindexter.

That comment got Vlad even angrier. But his anger was brief and it soon subsided. "It doesn't matter really if anyone bets on me. In the end, I'll end up winning all the prizes," said Vlad as he walked away.

"Sir, most of this plan makes sense. But due to that machine that you're building, it's leading me to believe that this is more that just causing the halfa agony or making money. I believe there's something more that you haven't told me," said Poindexter. Vlad responded by chuckling and saying, "That's for me to know, Poindexter and you to find out at the stroke of midnight."


	7. 10:15: The Laborer

**Chapter 7: 10:15: The Laborer**

Back in the room in which he had fought Klemper, Danny watched as the timer above the door to the next room reached zero. The doors slid open and Danny knew it was time to proceed. He began to fly toward the door and into the next room.

'So who am I fighting next? I guess I'll know by seeing by how the room is set up,' he thought. Upon entering, Danny gasped and then let out an exasperated groan as he viewed the contents of the room.

Within the room, there were stacks upon stacks of cardboard boxes and wooden crates. It looked almost similar to the warehouse he had been fighting in yesterday. The only exception was the door at the other end with the timer counting down from fifteen minutes. "You don't have to be a genius to figure out who's in here. My opponent in this room can only be…" began Danny before a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Beware!" yelled the voice. Danny looked up and saw the familiar form of the Box Ghost floating down from a stack of crates.

"Now ghost child, you face for the second time in two days, the unrivaled fury of the Box Ghost!" he announced. "Isn't getting your butt handed to you once a week enough, Box Ghost?" asked Danny who was annoyed at having to face another one of his weakest enemies.

"You defeated me yesterday. But today will be different! The one known as Plasmius has provided all these lovely boxes with which I will crush you! And very quickly I will due to I have a date with Lunch Lady tonight," said the Box Ghost. Danny's eyes opened wide as the last statement sank in. "Sorry but I can't think of anything else to say but eew!" responded Danny.

The Box Ghost looked enraged. "You shall pay for mocking my love life! Now let us do battle, child! Beware!" he yelled. "Let's just get this over with," said Danny.

The Box Ghost used his powers and raised one of the boxes into the air. With a wave of his hand, he sent the box flying at Danny. Danny just sighed, went intangible and waited for the box to pass harmlessly through.

But to Danny's surprise, the box didn't pass harmlessly through. Instead, the moment it passed through his intangible body, Danny screamed in pain. He collapsed to the ground on his knees clutching his chest.

"What kind of box is that?" he asked as he turned around and saw the box which had smashed open upon contact with the wall. It was filled will all sorts of machinery. "These aren't ordinary boxes. They're rigged with some sort of ghost harming technology," said Danny.

"Exactly! Now for the first time ever, the Box Ghost shall triumph!" yelled the Box Ghost as he raised nearly all the boxes in the room into the air. The boxes started to swirl around him creating a massive swarm.

Danny ducked and dodged every box now full aware of the pain that he would feel should he come into contact with one of them. 'With these specialized boxes, he's nearly as powerful as his buffed-up future self. I can't risk blasting these boxes with my ghost beam because that might make things worse,' thought Danny.

The Box Ghost watched as his hated enemy floated around the room avoiding his projectiles. "Give it up! You know the Box Ghost has won! With my new cardboard and square projectiles, victory shall be mine!" he yelled to Danny.

'Man! He never stops thinking that he's the most powerful ghost in the world even though he's not, even with his new boxes. When will he ever learn that there is nothing scary or threatening about boxes?' Danny thought. Then his face lit up. 'Yes. Despite the extra weaponry, he's still the same old Box Ghost. One who can still be easily tricked,' though Danny.

"Hey Box Ghost! Your little box swarm doesn't scare me. Now a single filed chain of boxes chasing after me like a vicious snake, that's threatening. But I bet you're not strong enough to pull that off!" Danny called in a teasing voice to his enemy.

"You dare to mock the all powerful Box Ghost! Then beware of the mighty line of boxes which you have spoken of!" yelled the Box Ghost as he ceased the swarm and began to line up the boxes in mid-air. Once they were all in line, he sent them flying after Danny.

The ghost boy flew off with the line of boxes chasing after him like a vicious snake. 'I've just got to keep away from the boxes until the right moment,' thought Danny as he flew around the room.

The Box Ghost watched as he steered his chain of boxes after Danny. "Ha ha! Do you dare doubt the power of the Box Ghost now?" he asked. "You still haven't hit me so I'm not impressed," responded Danny. "Then I'll speed up my attack! There is no escape! Beware!" yelled the Box Ghost.

The box chain started to move faster and began to get closer to Danny. Danny shrieked as his foot briefly nudged against the first box in the chain. "Ouch! Man that stings!" he yelled. But he kept on flying as the Box Ghost continued to laugh maniacally.

Suddenly, Danny started to fly directly toward the laughing Box Ghost. "Ready or not, Box Ghost, here I come!" yelled Danny. The Box Ghost ceased his laughter and looked ready to engage in fisticuffs with Danny. But unexpectedly, Danny flew over the Box Ghost instead of starting a fight. The Box Ghost looked confused for a second. But then he realized that his own chain of boxes was now coming right toward him with no time to stop them.

"Nooooooooooo!" he screamed as the first box slammed right into him causing it to explode. The resulting chain reaction caused each box to explode as well.

Danny quickly turned intangible. He still felt pain from the explosions. But he imagined it would be more intense if it wasn't intangible.

Soon, every box had exploded and when the explosions had ceased, the entire room was littered with pieces of cardboard and wood accompanied by scattered technological remains. The Box Ghost laid on the floor. He looked pretty weak but he was, in a manner of speaking, still alive.

Danny went solid again, floated down to the floor and collapsed on one knee. Apparently, he had taken his share of the explosions' beating though not as much as the Box Ghost. He then picked himself up and walked toward the Box Ghost.

"It always ends like this, doesn't it?" asked the Box Ghost weakly. "Yeah, I'm afraid it does," said Danny as he took out the Fenton Thermos and activated its energy beam. "Tell Lunch Lady I'm going to be late for our date! Beware!" yelled the Box Ghost as he was sucked in. "I still find the idea of a relationship between you two disgusting," said Danny as he put the cap on the thermos.

Danny looked up at the clock and saw that eight minutes remained. 'It usually only takes me less than a minute to fight the Box Ghost. I shouldn't underestimate any of these battles because Vlad has clearly orchestrated it in all my opponents' favor. Better rest up and check in with Tucker and Jazz,' thought Danny.

He placed a hand up to the side of his face and whispered, "Tucker, Jazz, have you been seeing these spectacles?" "We have, Danny, and we're doing all we can to try and figure out this whole thing. Just rest up Danny. You've been doing alright. If you need us, give a holler," said Tucker's voice out of the communicator. "Will do. Over and out," said Danny as he leaned against the wall and waited for the clock to run down.

Meanwhile, outside the complex in the invisible Specter Speeder, Tucker cut off his communication with Danny and then turned to Jazz. She was going over various files on the computer.

"Those battles were pretty intense. And yet at the same time, very interesting. If it weren't a matter of life and death, it would make for a great television event," said Tucker. "Can we stay focused on the task at hand, Tucker? I'm going out of my mind trying to figure out Vlad's plan," said Jazz.

"Any ideas?" asked Tucker. "Not a clue. I'm usually good at figuring things out. But this whole Gauntlet of Doom thing escapes me. If we only knew who else was participating in this challenge," said Jazz.

"Yeah, that's bothering me too considering who we've just seen Danny fight," said Tucker. "And what mystifies me most is that according to Danny's enemy files, Friendly Fiend and Crate Creep, I mean, Klemper and Box Ghost are the weakest foes in the database. And yet, they're the first that Vlad has set against Danny," said Jazz. "We do know that Vlad does have the Fright Knight in his employ. Skulker has worked with him from time to time as well," said Tucker.

"So if he can get more powerful opponents, what's the point of having the weakest ones in Danny's rogue's gallery at all?" asked Jazz. "That's a good question. But what also worries me is that if the weakest ones are through, than what about the rest of the challenge?" asked Tucker.

The two teens continued to ponder the situation as they tried to make sense of what Vlad was up to. But so far, there seemed to be no point to the Gauntlet of Doom. All they could do was wonder and wonder as the minutes ticked down to Danny's next fight.

Author's Note: I hope the whole 'hyped-up' box gimmick wasn't too corny. I couldn't think of any other way to amp up the Box Ghost. Also, I hope, like Tucker and Jazz, most of you readers are still in the dark of what this plan is. Not to give too much away, but I will point out a bit of information: the chapter titles that are accompanied by the time. They are both a plot device and a movie reference. It may be too early to guess what the reference is. But I'm sure you'll get it soon enough. Keep reading and reviewing!


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